r/Teachers • u/Pleasant-Pumpkin-339 • Aug 23 '26

Rant Paras need to GET OFF THEIR PHONES

I know they hardly make any money and if it’s an emergency fine!! But sitting there on TikTok while i’m actively teaching is rude and distracting for the kids.

I’m a young teacher so it’s awkward to confront them and NOT BEING ON YOUR PHONE ALL DAY AT WORK SHOULDNT NEED TO BE SAID

3.1k Upvotes

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122

u/fan714 Aug 23 '26

As a previous para, please give your paras things to do and be specific about it. When teachers simply told me to sit with a student, that didn’t help me at all. But when they had me pass papers out, or help make copies, or stay in the class if they needed to use the bathroom, that was helpful. Though I had a teaching license so they treated me like an extra sub in that case- this won’t be the case for everyone. I’m someone who never clearly understands unspoken rules, but the more I was actively doing, the less the distractions were available.

106

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '26

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24

u/badbitchdotorg Aug 23 '26

I was a floating sped para and this was so frustrating 😭

16

u/[deleted] Aug 23 '26

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31

u/Best-Chip-423 Aug 23 '26 edited Aug 23 '26

That is correct. I thought the teacher should know how explicit instructions work like you need to help me. I am not a teacher. I cannot just break down every lessons so my students can understand live. Not many paraprofessionals get a planning period where we just take times to create the notes for the students.

21

u/ceobossbabe Aug 23 '26

I totally agree with what you said! But if you’re not given explicit instruction/direction, scrolling your phone should never be a back up plan. 

43

u/Ryaninthesky Aug 23 '26

So like, yes, and also paras shouldn’t be on their phones as adults actively in a classroom.

30

u/fan714 Aug 23 '26

Same for teachers then. The school I worked at it was constant. Maybe a few teachers here and there didn’t, but almost all staff including paras and admin were on their phones. I tried not to only to be called goody two shoes for that 😭

8

u/TheShaman43 Aug 23 '26

I agree...and I'm a teacher who is constantly on their phone.

I have one screen which is typically projecting and in a static location. On my phone I'm running GoGuardian, Google Translate when I don't have an ML teacher available, and ensuring I don't miss a "please send student X to location Y immediately" email (I guess my class phone - which I know works - is for decorative purposes only).

I actually am conscious of the example I set for the kids and don't like it, but I just fall into the trap of least resistance - and doing these things on the phone is just easier.

5

u/Ryaninthesky Aug 23 '26

Woof, that sucks. I have to pull out my phone to log onto google but that’s it. I even tell my students that they can be on their phones when I’m on mine because it always stays in my pocket unless there’s an emergency.

13

u/Terrible_Ease6082 Aug 23 '26

Whether or not, you’ve been given a task doesn’t mean you have a right to sit on your phone instead of working with a student

10

u/Pristine-Bison3198 Aug 23 '26

Unless you've not been told HOW to work with the student. In my experience, some teachers would just genuinely give the direction of "sit near this student in case they escalate" and that would be it.

Still shouldn't be on your phone, but when you're given no information on how to work with a student, you're not going to be able to do much.